Intaglio printing machine



' INTAGLIO PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1939 INVENTOR l Villiam lf'i-Iuck BY ATT RNEY Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITED S ATES 2 3 11 PATENT OFFICE V 7 2,233,211 INTAGL o PRINTING MACHINE William F. Huck, Richmond Hill, N. Y., assignor to tion of New York Application July 22,

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to presses used in printing from flat engraved plates and commonly known as powerplate pressesy In this class of machines, the engraved plates are supported on beds (quite generally called planks), which are moved about in aclosed path on ways formed in, or secured to a rectangular frame, the'beds carrying the plates being passed successively under inking mechanism and wiping mechanism and then under an impression roller. The beds follow a straight path along 'each side of the frame and make a \turn at each corner. They are usually connected to a chain that is driven by sprockets at each of the four corners of the frame. I In a copending application, Serial No. 242,909 filed November 29, 1938, a machine of this class is shown, and the mechanism of the invention disclosed herein, includes certain improvements over the prior application mentioned, more particularly in the arrangement of certain details of construction wherein anti-friction bearings are provided for carrying the beds along the ways provided in the frame of the machine, to reduce power consumption and wear, increase the accuracy of the machine over long periods of use, and also to decrease the necessity for expensive repairs.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that an object of the invention-is to provide in connection with a power plate machine, anti-friction means for supporting the beds ofthe machine while in transit about'the frame. I 7

It is also an object of the invention to provide anti-friction bed'supporting means operable in conjunction with I anti-friction plate guiding means, whereby the beds will be moved about the frame of the machine smoothly, and with a minimum amount of friction and wear of the parts.

It is also an object of this invention to provide in a power plate printing machine, a bed supporting means of improved construction, whereby the same will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and eflicient in its use.

With the foregoing'and other'obje'cts in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein dis- .closed may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

R. Hoe & Go.,.Inc., New York, N. Y., a corpora- 1939, Serial No 285,872

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the ma chine to which the invention is applied;

Figure 2 is a fragmental sectiona1 view on line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the preferred arrangement of anti-friction rollers as applied to one of the beds;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of a corner of a bed; and

Figure 44 is a sectional View taken on. the line 44 of Figure 3.

In the printing machine as shown in Figure 1, a frame H is provided with grooves or ways l2, HA, and [3, HA. Guide rollers l4, preferably'having anti-friction bearings, are rotatably supported on bolts l5 which screw into the underside of beds or planks l6. A chain, not shown, is secured to a stud I 1 located substantially in the center of each of the beds, and passes around sprockets l8, indicated in dotted lines at each of the four corners of the machine, the chain traveling in a groove Hi. It will be seen that the rollers .M serve to engage the sides of the ways and guide the beds Is as they are (traveling in astraight path along each side of the machine, and alsoby engaging the curved sides of the ways, they maintain the beds in proper alignment and direct them accurately in their motion around the corners. In addition to the guiderollers l4, carrying rollers 2| and 22 are provided at each-corner of each bed. Inasmuch as, the beds are all of the same, construc- 'tion, it will be understoodthat the description of one suffices for all.

The rollers 2i and 22 are preferably provided with anti-friction bearings and are mounted in slots 23 cut in the beds I6 and rotatably supported by studs, 24 held in bores 25 in the beds l6. by set screws 26. Assuming that the north sideof the frame is at the top of the drawing, the rollers 2| engagebearerbars 21 which define one side of the ways l2 when the bed is moving either east or west, as shown in Figure 1, and at thistime, the rollers 22 being over the Ways l2and l3, are carrying'no portion of the weight of the bed. Howeven when the bed has turned the corner and is moving either north or south, the rollers 22 will' engage bearer bars 28,; and the rollers 2| will be over the guideways I2A and I3A, and carry no portion of the weightof the bed.'

It will be understood that considerable downward pressure is exerted onjthe bed when it is passing the center of the straight portions of its path on the three sidesof the machine where th plate is engaged by either an inking mechanism 29,, a Wiping mechanism 3|, or an impression roller 32. When the bedis passing under the impression roller, the impression pressure is taken by a large roller over which the bed passes, as is well known to those versed in the art, and

50 tate on substantially horizontal axes.-

which is shown in the copending application mentioned. When the bed is passing under the inking mechanism 29, the downward pressure incident to inking the plate is borne by the carrying rollers 2i, and when th plate is passing under the wiping mechanism 3|, the downward pressure incident to wiping the plate is borne by the carrying rollers 22. Inasmuch as there is relatively little resistanceto movementofthe bed at other portions of itstravel, it will be understood that the bearer bars 21 and 28 may be tapered slightly to relieve the pressure on the rollers 2! or 22 as they approach interrupted portions of the bearer bars 21 and 28 adjacent by the portions indicated 33A, 34A and 21A when moving north or south.

From the above, it will be seen that a mechanism has been provided for greatly reducing the friction of movement of the bedsof a power plate machine as they pass under inking and plate wiping mechanisms, and that is adaptable for use in connection withbed guiding means arranged to accurately guide the bed in both straight and curved portions of its path about the frame of the machine. a v

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and it will be further understood that each and every novel feature and combination present in or possessed by the mechanism herein disclosed forms a part of the invention included in this application,

What I claim is: 1.-In a machine for printing from fiat plates, a'plate support, a frame having ways along which the plate support is moved in a rectangular path, first rollers for the plate support arranged to carry it along two opposite sides of the path, and second rollers for the plate support arranged to carry it along the other two opposite sides of the path; the said rollers being mounted to ro- 2. In a machine for printing from flat plates, a plate support, a frame having ways along which the plate support is moved in a rectangular path, means rotatably mounted in the underside of the support and adapted to engage the ways, said means including first: rollers effective to carry the support along two opposite sides of the path and secondrollers effective to carry the support along the other two opposite sides of the path; the said rollers being mounted to rotate on substantially horizontal axes. V

3. In a machine for printing from flat plates, aplate support, a frame having ways along which the plate support is moved in a rectangular path, rollers rotatably mounted in the underside of the support and adapted to engage the ways, certain of said rollers being mounted with their axes parallel with the direction of motion of the support when it is moving along two opposite sides of the path, and other rollers mounted with their axes parallel with the direction of motion of the support when it is moving along the other two opposite sides of the path.

4. In a machine for printing from flat plates, a plate support, a frame having ways along which the plate, supportis moved in a rectangular path, two sets ofrollersrotatably secured to the underside of the support and arranged to engage the ways, one set of rollers being arranged to carry the support along two opposite sides of its path,

. and another set of rollers being arranged to carry the support along the other two opposite sides of itsyp'ath,,each-set of rollers being disengaged froin the ways while the other set is in engagement therewith.

'5. In a machine for printing from flat presses, a platesupport, a frame having ways along which the plate support is moved in a rectangular path, a pair of carrying rollers rotatably mounted in offset relation at each corner of the support and with theiriaxes intersecting, whereby one of the rollers will engage one of the ways and be rotated'by movement of the support only'when the support is moving in :one direction and the'other roller ,willengageone of the ways and be rotated I only when the support'is moving in another :di

rection. l

6; In amachinefor printing from flat'pre'sses; a rectangular plate support, a frame having ways along which the plate support is moved in a're'ctangular path having arcuate'sections at the cor ners, first rollers engaging the waysand-are ranged to carry the plate support along two opposite sides of the path, second rollers engaging the ways and arranged to carry the plate support along the other two opposite sides of the path, and third rollers engaging the ways and arranged toguide the. support while itsdirection of motion is, being changed at the corners ofthepath. I a I e '7. In amachine for printing from flat presses, a rectangular plate support, ,arfriame having ways along which the plate support ,is moved in a recta'ngularpath having. arcuatesections at the corners, three rollers" rotatably. secured to each corner of the plate support and projecting'below the underside thereof to engage the'ways, said rollers comprising a first roller engaging the ways and arranged to carry the plate support along two' opposite sides of the path, a second roller engaging the ways and arran'ged to'carry the plate support along the other two oppositesides of the path, and-a third roller adapted to engage the ways to guide the support while its direction of motion is being changed at the corners of the path. H r t I 8. In amachine for printingfrom fiat plates, a plate supporting bed, a rectangular frame about which the bed is moved in a rectangular path, and means rotatable on axes lying in a plane substantially parallel to the movement of the bed, to support the bed during its movement about the frame. p 9. In a machinefor printing from flat plates, a plate supporting bed, a; rectangular frameabout which the bed .is moved in 'a rectangular'path, andmeans rotatableon axes lying in'a plane substantially'parall'el to the movement of the'bed, to support the bed during its movement about the frame; said means includingfirst rotatable members between the bed and; the frame effective to support thebed upon the frame along twoopposite sides of the frame and second rotatable members between the'bed and the frame effective to support the bed upon the frame along the other two oppositesides of the frame. 1 

